We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
Low End Mac’s Compleat Guide to the Pismo PowerBook, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.05.20. The first PowerBook with FireWire and AirPort support, Pismo had a great keyboard and lots of connection and expansion options.
Unsupported Leopard installation, Dan Knight, 2007.10.31. How to install Mac OS X 10.5 on unsupported hardware – plus field reports.
Faking out the Leopard installer with Open Firmware, Dylan McDermond, Unsupported Leopard, 2007.12.06. You don’t have to hack the installer to make the Mac OS X 10.5 installer run on sub-867 MHz G4 Macs by using this simple Open Firmware trick.
WiFi cards for PowerBooks with PC Card slots, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.12. PC Card and CardBus 802.11b and 802.11g cards known to be compatible with Apple’s PowerBooks.
Low End Mac’s Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.12. Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasn’t kept up with the changing internet. Which Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update to 9.2.2.
Backing up your G3 PowerBook quickly and easily, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.10.27. Who needs Leopard and Time Machine? With an expansion bay hard drive and the right software, you can have a bootable clone ready for use.
The 1 GHz Pismo, the fastest G3 notebook ever, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.12.15. Apple never shipped a G3 faster than 900 MHz, but the PowerLogix BlueChip upgrade could bring the Pismo PowerBook to 1 GHz.
$40 802.11g CardBus WiFi card for OS X 10.3 and later, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.03.10. Whether it’s the Buffalo or Belkin card, it has the same Broadcom chipset as Apple’s AirPort Extreme and needs no special drivers.
1 GB of RAM gives Pismo PowerBook another new lease on life, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.12.15. Moving from 640 MB of RAM to 1 GB has significantly upgraded performance, and adding an Apple AirPort Card gives it great WiFi range.
Further upgrading my Pismo PowerBooks, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.12.01. Both Pismos already have larger, faster hard drives, higher capacity batteries, and 576 MB or 640 MB of RAM. Thoughts on upgrading to 1 GB and running Leopard.
Handing Off My 17″ PowerBook G4, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.11.30. Over the weekend, Charles W Moore swapped his 17″ G4 PowerBook for a G4-upgraded Pismo – in many ways, a step forward.
Pismo WiFi networking issue finally solved?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.11.24. It turns out the problems wasn’t the Pismo, the Buffalo WiFi card, or Mac OS X 10.4. It was the Wireless G router – Linksys to the rescue!
5 best sub-$1,000 Mac notebooks for gamers, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 2009.09.25. Good Mac ‘Books for gaming start below $300 and cover the G3, G4, and Intel eras.
The Future of Up-to-Date Browsers for PowerPC Macs, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.08.31. With Intel-only “Snow Leopard” shipping, software support for PPC Macs will continue its decline. Also, a look at SeaMonkey 2 and Camino 1.6.9.
Gaming on a Pismo PowerBook, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 2009.08.07. Apple’s Pismo PowerBook G3 has plenty of processing power, but its deficient when it comes to graphics power and video memory.
The day the Pismo died, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.08.04. At eight years old, a short or power surge took out the Pismo PowerBook. But with the right parts, it’s been brought back to life and remains in daily use.
The enduring value of the Pismo PowerBook, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 2009.07.27. The most expandable G3 PowerBook ever is nealy 10 years old, yet it remains a great value for someone looking for an affordable field computer.
Checking out Safari 4 on an old PowerBook, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.06.30. Safari 4 is the fastest it’s ever been, but it’s not without some frustrating drawbacks.
Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac’s Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac’s CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
Tips for Installing or Reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
Mac ‘Book Power Management Adventures, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your ‘Book won’t power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
Hacking a WiFi PC Card to work in Apple’s AirPort Card slot, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.21. Apple’s AirPort Card has become expensive since it was discontinued. Here’s how you may be able to adapt an 802.11b PC Card to replace it.
The importance of feel to the computing experience, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.04.21. Computing power is important, but a keyboard and mouse or trackpad with the right feel may have more impact on productivity.
Is It Worth Maxing the RAM in Old G3 and G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.15. Increasing memory can make your old Mac faster and make you more productive, but it probably won’t improve resale value by the amount you spend.
My Apple laptops: Past, present, and future, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.03.31. Looking back at the WallStreet, Pismo, and PowerBook G4 while moving ahead with a Unibody MacBook.
Making the switch from a G4 PowerBook to a Unibody MacBook, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.03.17. The transition to an Intel-based Mac hasn’t been without its problems – slow dialup performance, incompatibility with Eudora, and no real gain in speed with standby apps.
Using new tech with old tech, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2009.02.05. Yes, you can use a 2000 iMac, a Pismo, a G4 iBook, an iPod touch, and several new MacBooks together quite nicely.
Golden Apples: The 25 best Macs to date, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 2009.01.27. The best Macs from 1984 through 2009, including a couple that aren’t technically Macs.
iPod touch and Pismo: Perfect Together, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2009.01.21. With a USB 2.0 card and Tiger, a 9-year-old Pismo PowerBook works beautifully with a new iPod touch.
Is Camino now the best browser for older Macs?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.13. Camino 1.6.6 works very will with Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.5 and seems especially well suited for slower PowerPC Macs.
2 compact portable USB 2.0 hubs, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.01.12. Compact hubs from Targus and Proporta make a great complement to your notebook computer. Each accepts a third-party AC adapter to provide bus power.
Notebooks and blackouts, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.12.23. When the power goes out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep working for hours and hours.
The ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
Why You Should Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. “At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the ’emergency’ partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.”
Every working computer is useful to someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 2008.11.19. Whether it’s a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
G3 and low end G4 Mac performance comparison, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.15. Factors that impact performance are the version of CPU, the size and speed of the Level 2 cache, and how much RAM is installed.
3 reasons to use a Mac, and Pismo troubleshooting, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.10.15. Why one Windows user is also a Mac user, a Pismo that can’t see its AirPort card, and sources of kernel panics.
Getting the most from your G3 Mac, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.03. Most G3 Macs can be upgraded so they can run Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ quite nicely. Here’s how.
The best browsers for older Macs running Tiger, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.25. A dialup user’s overview of browsers for Mac OS X 10.4 puts the emphasis on reliability, downloads, and speed.
9 browsers for G3 and older G4 Macs compared, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.26. The latest versions of Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Radon, Firefox, Demeter, Sunrise, and Camino that run on Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger”.
Environmentally Responsible Retirement for Old Macs, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 2008.06.13. After you’ve scavenged what useful parts you can from your old Mac, what’s the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of the rest?
Bring back the Macintosh Portable, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.09.09. Not to fault today’s MacBooks, but there’s something to be said for a no compromise, very expandable, portable Macintosh as well.
Are G3 Macs still viable work machines?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.08. For basic tasks – writing, email, and using the Web – a G3 Mac with Mac OS X 10.4 and sufficient memory provides plenty of power.
Tricking out your notebook for superior desktop duty, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.07.29. For desktop use, you don’t need to be limited by the built-in trackpad, keyboard, and display or a notebook’s compromised ergonomics.
Bumps in the road for G3 Macs, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.07.28. MobileMe wouldn’t sync with the Pismo, and Skype’s software refused to install, but both problems were solved.
The Compressed Air Keyboard Repair, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn’t working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
A very Pismo Christmas in April, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.04.30. Everyone maintaining a vintage Mac should have a parts donor, and sometimes the parts machine may have upgrades for your old Mac.
Overpriced Macs, 4-core Mac Pro value, USB for G3 PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.24. Also reader feedback on running a keyboard through the dishwasher, tips for using external DVD drives, and 8 GB partition issues with the Classic Mac OS on the beige G3.
Designing a better laptop: Look to the past, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.27. Modern Apple notebooks have less expansion and upgrade options than G3 PowerBooks from a decade ago
Stupid Pismo tricks, 2008 edition, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Six uses for the weight saving device and how to use the Pismo as a DVD player.
Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
3 ways to better YouTube viewing on older Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.06. Watching YouTube videos in your browser on G3 Macs can be painfully slow, but there are several ways to improve your YouTube viewing experience.
MacBook Air: What do you do when there’s no WiFi?, John Hatchett, My Turn, 2008.01.22. Every modern PowerBook had ethernet and a modem, but how do you connect the MacBook Air when there’s no WiFi service?
The Swiss Army knife of notebook Macs, John Hatchett, My Turn, 2007.12.06. The 2000 Pismo was the high point of PowerBook design and flexibility with a great keyboard, expandsion bays, two PC Card slots, and a wonderful curvaceous design.
Reasons for sticking with the Classic Mac OS, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.30. Whether it’s the simplicity, elegance, speed, or desire not to replace lots of expensive hardware, there are lots of good reasons for sticking with Mac OS 9.
My PowerBook pilgrimage, 1996 to present, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.09.24. Starting with a grayscale PowerBook 5300 bought end-of-life in late 1996, the author has used six different ‘Book models over the past 11 years
Operation FlashBook: Running Tiger from flash on a PowerBook G4, John Muir, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.29. With the hard drive failing and Compact Flash prices falling, it was time to consider running the PowerBook G4 from flash. Looking back at 6 months, was it worth it?
Why Apple must continue G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5 ‘Leopard’, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.05.08. “We’re worried about what happens if Apple unchecks that box in Xcode to include the instructions necessary to run OS X on G3 processors at all.”
Format Any Drive for Older Macs with Patched Apple Tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives – until you apply the patches linked to this article.
Troubleshooting an iMac and possible Pismo overheating, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.03.19. Figuring out what’s wrong with a G3 iMac that won’t boot properly and possily spurious temperature readings from Gauge Pro.
Pismo Spotlight woes solved with simple fix, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.03.16. After working for 8 months, Tiger’s Spotlight indexing had simply stopped working. Here’s why – and the easy solution to the problem.
Pismo Spotlight and Find woes persist with latest version of Tiger, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.03.12. In early 2006, Spotlight and Find inexplicably stopped working on the G4-upgraded Pismo. A year and four OS X updates later, the situation hasn’t changed.
How much PowerBook or iBook do you need to run Mac OS X?, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2007.01.15. You don’t need the latest and greatest Mac to be productive in OS X. Here are six iBook and PowerBook suggestions built between 2000 and 2003.
Better laptop performance: What’s the best upgrade?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.10.09. Memory, CPU, bus speed, and hard drives all impact performance and battery life. Which upgrades will give you the most up time in the field?
Is Ubuntu Linux a sensible alternative for Mac users?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.09.18. If your Mac can run OS X decently, is there any reason to try Ubuntu Linux? If it can’t run OS X well, is Ubuntu a reasonable choice?
Is the G3 still a practical choice?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 2006.08.10. Although the G3 is several generations old, it has enough horsepower for most of the things we do on our computers.
Customizing Mac OS 9, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.08.01. Fiddling with themes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work just the way you want it to.
7 tools for keeping your laptop (uh, notebook) cool, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.24. A quick look at the Podium CoolPad, ChillMat, ChillHubs, Laptop Desk, Xpad, iLap, and iBreeze – seven stands designed to keep you ‘Books running cooler.
Upgrade your Pismo with a dual-layer DVD burner, Jason Schrader, Maximize Your Mac, 2006.07.19. If you want to add a DVD burner to your PowerBook Pismo, FastMac’s new dual-layer SuperDrive merits serious consideration.
Mac nostalgia: Why Apple should introduce a modern Pismo and SE/30, Matthew Wright, My Turn, 2006.06.14. The best PowerBook ever made and the iconic all-in-one compact Mac are just crying out to be reinvented for our nostalgic “everything old is new again” retro culture.
Upgraded Pismo vs. 12″ PowerBook G4, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.06.05. Also how DiskWarrior can save the day even when it ‘fails’, thoughts on keyboards for those with neuropathy in their hands, Norton SystemWorks for Mac, and more on OS X browsers.
Replacing Lombard with a TiBook: which one is enough?, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 2006.04.19. Nice as the Lombard was, it has a new owner. The new ‘Book should have FireWire, G4 power, and run Tiger nicely. How much TiBook is enough?
Making the move from Jaguar (OS X 10.2) to Panther (10.3), Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.11. One advantage of Apple’s “no upgrades” policy for OS X – someone can give you their old copy after upgrading without worrying about violating their license.
Back to the future: downgrading my Pismo to OS X 10.3.9, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.02.20. With Spotlight and Tiger’s Find refusing to work on the Pismo, it was time to backtrack to OS X 10.3.9 – which actually seems faster and more stable on this PowerBook.
Tiger 10.4.4 update cripples Pismo’s internal modem, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.02.13. Pismo’s internal modem works flawlessly under OS 9 and OS X 10.3, but it’s grown less reliable under 10.4, becoming unusable with the most recent update.
FastMac’s $190 8x dual-layer SuperDrive for PowerBooks and dual USB iBooks, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.30. For US$190-250 you can replace the CD-ROM, CD-RW, Combo, or slow old SuperDrive in most PowerBooks, white iBooks, slot-loading iMacs, and Cubes with a faster, dual-layer drive.
Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
The best browsers for PowerPC Macs and the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2005.12.16. Two browsers stand out from the pack: iCab 3 is modern and remains under development, and WaMCom brings Mozilla to older Macs.
Pismo LCD lamp and display replacement, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2004.10.19. Options for replacing the whole screen or just the backlight on the Pismo PowerBook G3.
iFixIt Guide: PowerBook G3 Pismo, PB FixIt. All you need to know to take apart, upgrade, repair, and put your PowerBook back together again. Online and print versions available.
Hotrodding the Pismo, phase 6 – FastMac 4x SuperDrive expansion bay module, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2004.06.15. “The FastMac 4x SuperDrive module for Pismo , which is the hands-on subject of this review, is based on the same Matsushita UJ-8255 mechanism used in the Aluminum PowerBooks.”
Hotrodding the PowerBook, phase 5 – Miglia Alchemy FW 800 PC Card, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2004.06.09. “Phase 5 of my ongoing Pismo PowerBook hot rod project is the addition of the subject of this review – the Miglia Alchemy FW 800 PC Card.”
What a long strange trip back to Pismo, Kevin Webb, The Mac Webb, 2004.03.29. The 15″ and 12″ G4 PowerBooks were nice, but the old Pismo is the PowerBook that seems just right.
Daystar MACHSpeed G4 Pismo upgrade review, Charles W Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2004.02.10. “While the economics of processor upgrading can be dubious in some cases, with the G3 Series PowerBooks it substantially less so.”
Flash memory improves PowerBook, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.11.14. Using Compact Flash to boot, save files, run silently, extend battery life, and as virtual memory on a PowerBook.
A year with Pismo, Charles W Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 2002.11.05. “…if it continues its solid, reliable, workhorse ways, I think it will displace my recently deceased WallStreet as my pick for the best computer I’ve ever owned.”
SCSI and FireWire Disk Modes, Paulo Rodrigues, Tangerine Fusion, 2000.11.29. How to use SCSI Disk Mode and FireWire Target Disk Mode for ultrafast file transfers.
Pismo four months later: A second look, PowerBook Zone, 2000.05.23. “…if this is the biggest issue we can come up with, obviously Apple’s done a great job. “
PowerBook 2000, Andrew Gore, Macworld. “With the release of the latest PowerBook G3, Apple has added a host of improvements to a product that just a year ago Macworld deemed without peer.”
Accelerate Your Mac! has downloadable color profiles for the iBook and recent PowerBooks that really improve on-screen color.
Apple issues warning that Pismo PowerBook not compatible with Password Security control panel, Charles W Moore, Applelinks, 2000.03.08
